During well completion or well production operations, various types of tools are run into a wellbore. These tools include those that are controlled by electrical signaling. Typically, electrical signaling is provided down an electrical conductor, such as through a wireline or other conduit, to a downhole component. In other types of arrangements, inductive coupling mechanisms can be used to communicate electrical signaling to the downhole components.
A safety issue associated with the use of electrical signaling is that downhole components may be inadvertently activated by unexpected signals, such as by electrical voltage or current spikes, failure of downhole components (shorts, open circuits, and so forth), and other failures. If the downhole component that is activated electrically is a perforating gun, then the perforating gun may be shot before the perforating gun has been lowered to the desired depth. If the inadvertent shooting occurs near the well surface, serious injury to well operators may occur. In other examples, packers may be inadvertently set, downhole components may be inadvertently dropped due to unexpected activation of an electrically-activated release mechanism, and so forth.